Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Travelers who love the energy and unexpectedness of street art will want to make a beeline for Rio de Janeiro. Brazil legalized street art and graffiti in 2009 (as long as it's done with the building owners' permission), but this type of creativity has been flourishing in Rio for many years. Some of the best examples can be found near the Jardim Botanico (Botanic Garden), where a wall of ever-changing street art stretches about a half-mile. A significant portion of the city's street art can be found in the favelas, or slums; check out FavelaPainting.com to see how one public art organization is working with local communities to beautify these economically depressed neighborhoods.